Improved olamp foe iron structures



JAMESv M. MooREHE-AD, or BRQOKLYMNEWYORK.

Ltters Patent No. 82,738, dated October 6, 1868.

IMPROVED CLAMP FOR IRON STRUCTURES.

dhr ctehule referat itv in these rttsrs l/aient :mh nmtuggart uf its same.

To ALL WHOM rr MAY ooNoERN:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. MOOREHEA'D, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and improved Clamp for Crossed Rods or Tubes; 'and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a section Aof my improved clamp, through the vcentre of the horizontal rod held therein, the section being taken through thevlne-zv z', iig. 2.

Figure 2 is a section of the clamp through the vertical rods held. therein, the section being taken through the line y y of iig. 1. l

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the inner clamps.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Thepbject of this invention is to provide a irm and easily-adjusted clamp, for the purpose of clamping the vertical and horizontal rods of engineering or other structures, when each crosses the other at -right angles, and are sufficiently approximated at the line of their line of crossing to admit of being held in the same clamp.

The drawings represent the clamp when used in the constructionof iron railway-cars, where two vertical rods and a horizontal rod are clamped together at different points on the top and bottom ofthe car.

In the construction of iron lire-proof cars, wood is excluded from the structure, and rods. of iron are employed to confer stiffness to the sheet-metal plates, that form the sides, ends,l top, and bottomof the car.

The clamp is,l composed of four plates, A, B, C, and D. The plates A and D are formed with circular recesses, for the purpose of clamping the vertical rods E E, as shown. The intermediate plates, B and C, are formed with semicircular recesses, for thevpurpose of clamping the horizontal rod Gr. This latter'rod is shown in red at iig. 1, and isl not shown within the recess of that figure, for the purpose of exhibiting the formation of the recess, which formation will be'hereinafter dulydescrihed.

At each'corner of all the plates, holes are formed for the four bolts H, which serve to* hold the four parts of the clamp together. The recesses of the outer plates A and D are completed and made cylindrical-bythe circular concavities of th-c projections'a a a a, `forming part of the inner plates O, B, and C. These projections enter with fitting contactrwithin the recesses in the outer plates, as shown, and thereby complete the cylindrical surface of the same.

The intermediate plates B and C are 'provided on their proximate faces with recessed projections, which consist of walls l b, fitting into correspondent grooves, d d, as shown. These parts are cast on-theinner plates, and form part ofthe same, and the said walls and grooves being, respectively, opposite each other, and correspondent thereto, they unite to form a cylindrical clamp for the rod G when brought together.

The corner-projections e e e e serve to give a finished appearance to the clamp, by relieving -the same of the otherwise dat angles, but in practice they should not be quite in contact, for they would then prevent the clamping-surfaces ofthe plates from impinging upon the rod G.

The rods, when clamped in the above-described plates, are held immovably, and vprevented from working loose, as torsion or lateral movement of the'plates is impossible, when the bolts are screwed up to a firm bearing. The sheet metal composing the side ofthe car is clamped between the outer and inner plate, as shown atf.

' This clampA is also applicable to the construction of truss-bridges, where vertical and horizontal rods are employed. I

These plates may be provided in quantity, and the correspondent plates taken indiscriminately and applied.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patentl The four plates A, B, C, and D, formed and combined substantially as shown and described, for the purpose of clamping crossed rods, all as set forth. i

The abovespccification of my invention signed by me, this day of 1868.

' J. M. MOOREHEAD. Witnesses:

i ALEX. F. Renners', J. M. COVINGTON. 

